Adieu to 2009….

It's been months - 3, actually, since I've blogged. Like everyone else, my reason is life… it tends to take up most of my time.
In the last 3 months, we've bought a new house, moved, semi unpacked (waiting for holidays to be finished for the complete unpacking), unpacked Thanksgiving stuff, re-packed Thanksgiving stuff, unpacked Christmas stuff & currently waiting to re-pack Christmas stuff.

In between all the unpacking & re-packing, we've went to Christmas parties, had "game nite", worked, cheered, watched movies, visited the library, visited the pediatrician (more times than I care to count), hosted Thanksgiving dinner & finally enjoyed our time together as a family of four in our new home!

On a side note, I'm looking forward to taking down the tree this weekend...my gramma thinks it's bad luck to take down your tree before the New Year. Call me silly, but we've actually had a good 3 months, so I'm not going to rub my luck the wrong way!
Our home is wonderful - pictures to come soon - I promise. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2000 square feet, wood burning fireplace!! We've already painted our family room & plan to paint all the rooms after the holiday stuff is behind us.

As we bid farewell to 2009, we're looking forward to closing it out (or as close to midnite as we can make it!) w/great friends - Michele & David & their family & friends.
Tomorrow, my g/f Amy will come over to visit & this weekend will be about packing away Christmas decorations until next December.

The only downfall of our home is dsl is not offered in our area…ugh…we currently have dial-up which pretty much makes the computer my enemy. We're going to have to suck it up & go back to cablevision. We're just waiting to see what kind of deals they'll have in the New Year. Until then, my updates will be sporadic.

To finish this post…here is my look back on 2009…

The beginning of 2009 was the beginning of my pregnancy w/Bryleigh. The dr appts & anticipation of the new arrival were always foremost in our minds, but other things occupying our time were…

Enjoying b/day parties for Marge & Aunt Sandy in January.

And along came February & the 1st b/day party of that month was Aislynne's 3rd. Anniversaries (Alan & Jenny) & B/days (Joey, Bobbie, Trixie & Luke). And a brand new birthday to be celebrated - Mason.

March was chilly & busy. Cheer & b/days (Gage, Josh, Omie, Val, Aaron, Dennis & Michael). Dinner w/Sarah & our girls was enjoyed…as well as us taking Cadence to see Monsters vs Aliens.

April held my 20 wk pregnancy mark! Whoa 1/2 way there!! We had b/day's (Andrea, Jacob, Erica, Tiff, Matt & Brian) a 2 yr anniversary (Tony & Val) & Easter egg hunts & Easter.

May flew right by…ob dr. appts & glucose testing - yuck. Birthdays celebrated (Uncle Butch, Randi, Sierra, Kasey, Selena, Jenny, Bella & Cheyenne)…a 4 yr anniversary (Aaron& Bobbie)..We took Cadence & Madison to the Memorial Day parade downtown…& enjoyed Cai's cheer banquet.

June brought my 30 wk pregnancy mark - counting them down quickly now…more appts, ultrasounds & birthdays (Heather, Angie, Michele, Jody, Kari, Jeremy)…bridal shower (Lindsay), birth (Sormane Jr.) church festivals & the Cherry & Strawberry Festivals…fireworks in the Point w/a quick meal before hand at Cindy & Chucks.

July not only brought my maternity leave but more b/days (Sarah, Timmy, Lisa, Nathan, Alan, Justin), two baby showers for me, a shower for Angie & a wedding (Beth). A fun party at Sarah’s for the 4th & fireworks after.

August was a great month for us b/c our 2nd child was born! Cadence & I hit the zoo on 8/3 w/Sarah & her kids & the walking helped me go dilate! 8/6 Bryleigh Noelle was born! 8/7 Maizen Blue was born. Anniversaries celebrated (Aunt Vicki & Jay – Brian & Becky – Dennis & I)…b/day’s (Gramma, Matt, Alyssa & Tori) weddings! (Heather & Jerry – Lindsay & Troy – Uncle Tracy & Diana)…

September was busy w/dr appts & b/days (Bella, Cruz, Valerie, Aunt Sharon, Ahrianna, Colin, David, Averi, Maddix, Andrea, Nevaeh) a quince (Selena), a baby shower (Bobbie), Bryleigh’s baptism, Anniversaries (Trixie & Chad, Jaquie & Sormane), trick or treating at the campground & Stephen is born…

October, I was already back to work & cheer was in full swing…b/day’s (Dominic, Jenny, Brandon, Shannon, Taevion, Kennedy, Wendy, Becky, me), anniversaries (Matt & Mindy, Pat & Erica, Jeremy & Heather), a birth (Austin Michael!!) & Stacey Family Camping trip.

November was quick & to the point…a few b/days (Dallas, DeeAnn) a birth (ADAM JOHN!), we moved into our new home! & hosted Thanksgiving dinner!

December was busy! B/days Galore (Aunt Claire, Uncle Rick, Uncle Jay, Jaquie, Aunt Sis, Kathleen (18!!), Emily, Dj, Madison, Tina, Cadence, Mom & Aunt Vicki!) Anniversary (Uncle Rick & Aunt Claire) we took Cadence to “The Night Before Christmas, the Whole Story” at the Valentine Theatre, Christmas shopping & Andrea watched the girls for us!, Christmas & a game nite at our home…

And now it’s 12/31/09….and we’re off to Michele & David’s..

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Sunday was Bryleigh's baptism. There were 3 other babies getting baptized that day. After mass we all went up to the font & the ceremony began. It was pretty & it was awesome that Gramma was able to extend her stay to witness B's first sacrament!

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After the ceremony, we headed out to Frisch's for brunch.

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We all had a great time & hated leaving. We left the fun & went to Ahrianna's 5th b/day party. Unfortunatly, we were only able to stay for a short time, but Cadence had fun while we were there.

We could only stay for a little bit b/c we were invited to a delicious dinner at Lisa's! She made baked chicken, mac & cheese, yams, dressing & greens.
It was small dinner party - Lisa, Jaiden, the boys, Dennis, myself, the girls & Gramma. The food was great! For dinner Gramma brought an amazing chocolate cake.

We left shortly after dinner so that I could get to bed b/c I had to start my first full week back to work on Monday :(

Til next time...

Parades & Quinceañeras

Saturday morning started w/a bang! We had to be in Perrysburg by 9:15 for the parade that CSE was marching in.
We arrived bright eyed & bushy tailed...or so the saying goes..but really, I arrived puffy eyed (from exhaustion) & crabby (could have used another hour of sleep!).
When we got to the float I saw this rather large dog...

Here are the girls looking at a dead squirrel..yuck!

My Princess...

Skyler & Cadence playing tag...

Cadence & Skyler

The Duchess doing what she does best...

Riding on the float..

After the parade we went to Olan Mills for pics w/all the great-grandkids & Gramma..a few samples..

Once that was done, Cadence went w/Lisa to Nickel World for Colin's b/day party..I headed to St. Peter & Paul for Selena's Quince.
The pictures consist of Selena's grandpa, her Grandma her Great Grandpa, her uncle & cousins, her court, her step-dad, mom, sister & brother & finally Selena & her dad.

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Here Selena is leaving the service & church & then it's pics from her dinner & dance. A few shots of us..her Godparents bringing her the pillow, her Grandparents clasping her necklace, dancing w/her dad, step dad, Josie, Ray & the boys & most importantly - her mommy! Finally the dance her court put on...It was a beautiful nite!

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Til next time...

Bryleigh’s hospital stay..

There's nothing a mom hates more than when her kids are sick...you feel so helpless. Well Bryleigh decided to take that to a whole other level for me! It started on the 3rd when Cadence had spent the day w/Lisa. That evening Lisa called me to say that Taevion had a fever. Nothing else - no upset tummy, no complaints, just a fever - it was gone the next day - replaced by a rash, which also lasted a day. greaatttt...
The following Monday (Labor Day) after a long day of playing, Cadence got a fever of 102.5. Nothing else.. The next morning, she was fine. That evening she got a rash which was gone by Wed.
Overnite Thurs, into Fri, Bryleigh was really warm, I could tell it was a fever, but thought it would run it's course as it had w/Cadence.
By that afternoon, I knew it was more & we went to the drs. He told us to go straight to the ER. He was so urgent & adament, I was SCARED! This was my 5 wk old baby!!!!
We went straight to Toledo. They did a spinal tap (to rule out menengitis), gave her an iv & did a catheter (only to empty her bladder to test her urine). It was heartbreaking. From one of my g/f's I knew spinal taps were awful & my poor baby was getting one. I didn't want her to, but I also knew I couldn't mess around & debate the need for it.
She was a trooper. They stuck the needle in, she cried & then fell asleep. They admitted us b/c her fever was so high.
The first nite was awful, her fever coupled w/crying whenever we moved her (the dr said it's like the flu - your body aches everywhere), even Sat morning was no treat.
Dennis had a test that morning, so he left. Dr. L came in & I was so relieved. She's such a kind woman & wonderful dr, I felt a weight had been lifted off of me after I talked to her. The spinal tap showed she had enterovirus - a viral infection. Almost as common as a cold & older kids get over it w/in a day, but for infants it's too hard on their underdeveloped systems.
They had her on 3 different antibiotics while they waited for the bacterial cultures to grow. Better to be fighting it incase there was something else.
When Dennis got back around 1, I went home & showered & relaxed for a bit. I visited Cadence & then went back up to the hospital. Dennis left a bit later to get Cai & take her home for the evening.
There was a huge difference in how B was acting from the time I left to the time I got back. She was a normal happy baby.
She was still running a fever & a little fussy that evening, but by Sunday she was happy again. She was released that evening @ 10 pm. The cultures had just come back negative & so we were allowed to leave!! It was awesome walking through the door w/my baby in my arms!
The first nite

In her big old bed

Cadence checking in on her sister

The 2nd nite - feeling better but still tired...

My baby is contagious :(

The morning after we got home...happy to be in her sister's arms!

Til next time...

Labor Day & the nite before..

Since most of these posts have been sitting in my drafts, I figured I'd may as well get them finished up & posted so I can do some more up to date ones..This is the last "old" one..
The nite before Labor Day Madison came over to stay the nite. THe girls did not fall asleep until 1ish & then were up @ 6:50!! Are you kidding? I finally got out of bed around 8. I hate kids..
Anyway, here they are the nite before...I'm not sure what the tongue thing is, I think Cadence got it from watching the older girls at the gym..which I also don't get - but whatever.

We went to Gramma's on Labor Day for a cookout - it was fun & there was good food. The kids tired themselves out & that was probably the best part - haha!
Angie & Cadence

Malachai

Madison & Cadence

from front to back..
Colin, Heaven, Malachai, Madison, Cadence, Dennis, Me, Bryleigh, Lisa, Jaiden, Taevion, Randi, Matt, Angie, Aunt Vicki, Mindy, Alan, Jenny, Matt & Uncle Jay

See...tired themselves out! Our car ride home was peaceful!

Just takin pics...

Monday nite - this is Cadence w/a fever of 102.5 :(

Bryleigh loving her bouncy!

she's so yummy!

a couple days after Cadence wasn't feeling well - she loves her sister!

til next time...

Randomness…

Our day out…

We started out our Labor Day weekend by visiting Heather & Jerry. Dennis & the kids wrestled & Aunt Heather & Bryleigh bonded...

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We left there w/lots of clothes for B (thanks Heather!!) & went out to dinner w/Dennis' mom, dad, aunt & brother.
Marge was loving on Bryleigh & Cadence...
Liz did too...





Jody texted me to tell me that Rossford was having fireworks, so we met her up at the park.They were awesome - MUCH better than Toledo's 4th of July fireworks. I was impressed.

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We sat close but it didn't bother B -she slept through the whole display!



Cadence & I waiting for the fireworks!



Jody, Nevan & Aislynne



Aislynne, Jody & Me